Lafarge Invention Awards celebrated in India

The winners of the Lafarge Invention Awards 2011 were announced in India yesterday in the presence of Chairman and CEO of Lafarge Group, Bruno Lafont. This is the first time that the awards, which were created in 2010, have been held in India. The competition aims to reward and support those who contribute to sustainable construction through innovative building materials projects, whether it is through industrial procedures, products, services or construction methods.

Sixty projects were submitted for consideration before a panel of Lafarge executives and Indian experts selected three winners who were awarded prizes of Rs.1 000 000, Rs. 500 000 and Rs.250 000. First prize went to Ashok B. Lall Architects for its low-cost and low-energy method for creating cool walls, second prize went to the KT Group for its flexible system of precast concrete panels and third prize was awarded to Manasaram for a structural system that combines the properties of bamboo and concrete. The award winners will have the opportunity to visit the Lafarge Research Centre in France.

As part of its research and development strategy, Lafarge has opened a Construction Development Lab in Mumbai in order to increase knowledge of construction materials and how these can improve sustainability. The company is also working with education and research institutes in India, such as the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Madras and the Sir JJ College of Architecture in Mumbai.

Bruno Lafont said of the awards, “India is a country that embraces innovation, which is reflected in the quality of the projects rewarded by the Lafarge Invention Awards. There is a wonderful synergy between the Indian market which is driven by progress, and Lafarge which made innovation a key priority for the Group, and which is the foundation of Lafarge's success in India. The recent opening of our Construction Development Lab in Mumbai, will enable us to develop even faster and more local sustainable, durable and affordable solutions for the construction industry. It will be boosted by the strong economic and demographic growth.”